1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video game system using a cassette-type recording medium which may comprise an optical disk, a magnetic disk, or a semiconductor memory that stores program data, a method of controlling the display of images in a video game, and a recording medium that stores a program for controlling the display of images in a video game.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been proposed many video game systems. They include a system comprising a game machine for home use only and a television monitor, a system for use as an arcade game machine only, and a system comprising a personal computer or a work station, a display unit, and an audio output unit.
Either of these video game systems is constructed of a manual controller manually operable by the game player, a recording medium storing game program data, a CPU for controlling the generation of audio and image data based on the game program data, a video processor for generating video data, an audio processor for generating audio data, a CRT for displaying images based on the generated video data, and a speaker for reproducing sounds based on the generated audio data. The recording medium is often in the form of a CD-ROM, a semiconductor memory, a cassette with a built-in semiconductor memory, or the like.
One video game that can be played on such video game systems is a video game that simulates an alpine skiing game, for example, in which a displayed character simulates an alpine skiing racer, such as a downhill racer, for example, skiing down an alpine skiing course, such as a downhill course, in a game space to compete for a shortest course time.
It is desirable that such a video game be made more realistic by making the racer on the course appear to be skiing at speed in the game space.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a video game system which is capable of making a character appear to be moving at speed in a displayed game space by vertically reducing a size of the game space.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of controlling a display of a game space in a video game to make a character appear to be moving at speed in the game space by vertically reducing a size of the game space.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a recording medium which stores a program to control a display of a game space in a video game to make a character appear to be moving at speed in the game space by vertically reducing a size of the game space.
According to the present invention, a video game system displays a character which is movable relatively depthwise in a game space. The video game system has display means for displaying a game space, speed calculating means for calculating a speed at which a character in the game space moves, reduction ratio setting means for establishing a reduction ratio to reduce the game space vertically depending on the speed calculated by the speed calculating means, and display control means for controlling the display means to display the game space at the reduction ratio established by the reduction ratio setting means.
The game space is vertically reduced at the reduction ratio depending on the speed of the character, i.e., the image displayed in the game space is vertically decimated, and displayed by the display means. When the speed of the character increases, the reduction ratio is increased. As the character moves deeply into the game space, the-background scenery in front of the character is rapidly expanded, resulting in an impressive game image in which the character looks moving at speed.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a method of controlling the display of images in a video game to display a character which is movable relatively depthwise in a game space. The method comprises the steps of displaying a game space at a reduction ratio to reduce the game space vertically as a character moves in the game space, calculating a speed at which the character in the game space moves, and increasing the reduction ratio when the calculated speed increases.
According to the present invention, there is further provided a recording medium storing a program for controlling the display of images in a video game to display a character which is movable relatively depthwise in a game space. The program comprises the steps of displaying a game space at a reduction ratio to reduce the game space vertically as a character moves in the game space, calculating a speed at which the character in the game space moves, and increasing the reduction ratio when the calculated speed increases.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention by way of example.